There has been a long standing need within the dental and medical industries for a convenient, inexpensive, safe, and easily manipulated and assembled apparatus which will house, contain, and dispense sterile strands of cordage, such as dental floss and/or suture materials. To meet this need, a wide variety of devices have been invented. For example, Shalek (U.S. Pat. No. 1,455,673; issued May 15, 1923), Endelson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,755; issued May 4, 1982) and Blank et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,560; issued Nov. 21, 1989) each disclose a different apparatus to dispense dental floss.
Shalek ('673) discloses a permanently mounted dental floss dispenser. One feature of the Shalek ('673) disclosure is a cover which, when in its closed position, acts to protect the floss from dust and handling, but, when moved to its open position, withdraws a length of floss from the container. After withdrawing the desired length of floss from the container, the cover is closed.
Although Shalek ('673) discusses protecting the dental floss from dust and from handling and maintaining it in a sanitary condition, Shalek ('673) does not address the issue of cross-contamination between successive users. For example, if the cover was to become contaminated, such as by catching dust as described in the disclosure or by being exposed to a prior contaminated user, then a successive user would be required to contact and raise the cover to an open position and thereby also become contaminated.
Endelson ('755) and Blank et al. ('560) disclose dental floss dispensers which essentially have a credit card format. The dispensers comprise relatively flat containers having a well therein which is adapted to hold a supply of dental floss. The free end of the dental floss exits from an aperture located in a corner of the flat container and is passed either around cutting means or around a lug and then cutting means. In either case, the dental floss located between the aperture in the flat container and the cutting means lies generally flush against the container.
The design of such devices presents a substantial risk of cross-contamination between successive uses and users. Each user would be constrained to contact the holder and cordage at precisely the same locations on the dispensers in order to grasp and sever a desired length of cordage.
The following patents do not specifically relate to dental floss dispensers. Instead, the following patents relate to holders and dispensers for multiple spools of sewing thread, cotton, and silk: Koch et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 107,786; issued Sep. 27, 1870); Baldwin (U.S. Pat. No. 128,275; issued Jun. 25, 1872); Dimock (U.S. Pat. No. 250,216; issued Nov. 29, 1881); Vandervoort (U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,067; issued Jan. 23, 1962); and Fridolph (U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,025; issued Nov. 8, 1966). Since these disclosures were not specifically directed to dental floss dispensers, the patentees apparently were not concerned with cross-contamination and made no provision therefor. If any of these devices were used to contain sterilized dental floss, the problem of cross-contamination would not be resolved.
All of the foregoing devices subject successive users to cross-contamination. Use of light, portable, and easily manipulated housings require, by their very nature, that the user contact and hold the very same housing that is used to protect the contained dental floss against contamination. The contaminants and foreign elements which are captured by the exterior surfaces of the housing are thus passed to the hands and fingers of the user. The very nature of the dispenser construction ensures that each person using the dispenser will, of necessity, come into contact with the cutting mechanism and outer surfaces of the dispenser, thereby subjecting successive users to cross-contamination.
Furthermore, the close proximity between the retained end of the thread and the housing increases the likelihood that contaminants which contact the housing will also contact either the thread or the fingers of a successive user. This in turn increases the likelihood that complications after use of the device may arise due to the presence of dangerous bacteria, viruses, or other substances. This is particularly true when infectious substances which produce such illnesses such as hepatitis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are present.
Another disadvantage of using small, hand-held dispensers is that both hands are required to obtain a desired length of cordage. Many times a dentist and/or surgeon has at least one hand occupied when he or she desires to obtain a length of sterile cordage. Where a hand-held container is used, either the doctor must remove his or her hands to accomplish the task of obtaining and severing a length of cordage, or the services of an assistant must be obtained. Thus, such devices are often difficult and/or inconvenient to use. This is particularly true when the doctor is in a dangerous or awkward position or stage of the operation.
The inventor believes the listed patents and known prior art taken alone or in combination neither anticipate nor render obvious the present invention. These citations do not constitute an admission that such disclosures are relevant or material to the present claims. Rather, these citations relate only to the general field of the disclosure and are cited as constituting the closest art of which the inventor is aware.